German occupation of Norway

The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the capitulation of German forces in Europe on 8 May 1945. Throughout this period, a pro-German government named Den nasjonale regjering ('the National Government') ruled Norway, while the Norwegian king Haakon VII and the prewar government escaped to London, where they formed a government in exile. Civil rule was effectively assumed by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen (Reich Commissariat of Norway), which acted in collaboration with the pro-German puppet government. This period of military occupation is, in Norway, referred to as the "war years", "occupation period" or simply "the war".

Background

Having maintained its neutrality during the First World War (1914–1918), Norwegian foreign and military policy since 1933 was largely influenced by three factors:

Fiscal austerity promoted by fiscally conservative parties;

Pacifism promoted by the Norwegian Labour Party;

A doctrine of neutrality, on the assumption that there would be no need to bring Norway into a war if it remained neutral.

These three factors encountered resistance as tensions escalated in Europe during the 1930s, initially from Norwegian military personnel and right-wing political groups, but increasingly also from individuals within the mainstream political establishment, and, as it has since come to light, from the monarch, King Haakon VII, who was involved behind the scenes. By the late 1930s, the Norwegian parliament (the Storting) had accepted the need for a strengthened military and expanded the budget accordingly, even by assuming national debt. As it turned out, most of the plans enabled by the budgetary expansion were not completed in time.

Pre-war relations with Britain

Although neutrality remained the highest priority, it was known throughout the government that Norway, above all, did not want to be at war with Britain.